Two in Love
by Seductive Venus
Summary: They're best friends. Everyone knows that best friends are also the best lovers. -DannyxSam-


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A/N: I am fairly new to the Dan/Sam fandom and this is my debut fic. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, I don't own Danny Phantom. I borrowed them.

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Two in Love

Danny Fenton thought everything was normal when he entered Casper High School. The sky was blue, the birds were singing, and everybody was sprawled on the front yard waiting for the bell to ring. How wrong he was.

He could feel the hairs in the back of his neck rising as he endured the curious and sly stares the usually snobby crowd gave him. Why they were staring he had no idea. But it was definitely a strange way to start the morning.

Danny was a loser, or so everyone says.

So why are they paying attention to him?

Wait, does that mean they know-?

Danny frowned thoughtfully as he assessed the situation. No, they couldn't possibly know. His alter ego was usually hidden from view and the whole school usually runs away when a ghost attacks so no one sees.

So why are they staring!

The black-haired lad made his way to their favorite hang-out under a tree. It was at the edge of the school yard but not that far from the double doors. Nobody hung out there because it was too far from the mainstream. But it suited their little band well enough.

He was quite surprised to see Sam Manson alone. Usually Tucker and Sam came to school together since their houses were close. Where was Tucker?

"Good morning." Danny greeted his best friend and sat down beside her. Sam greeted him back before returning to what she was reading. He got curious and glanced at the title. "Is that a copy of _The Virgin Suicides_ by Jeffrey Eugenides?"

"You can read right?" was the acerbic reply. He had to smile. Sam was her usual PMS-ing self which means the world wasn't rotating off-axis and the Apocalypse wasn't upon them.

Danny pulled out his algebra homework from his bag. It was half-finished and probably filled with wrong answers. He was interrupted by that ghost attack yesterday before he even got to the middle of the homework. There was still some fifteen minutes before the bell. That should be enough time to work on it.

"Is that your algebra homework?" asked Sam with a sidelong glance.

"You can see it right?" he teased as he showed it to her. She glared and his smile only got bigger.

Sam took it and started rechecking his answers. The black-haired lass were the smartest of the three and aced most of their subjects, including algebra. She crossed out most of his answers before handing it back.

"Thanks," Danny muttered as he stared at it. He was doomed.

Wordlessly Sam handed him her own homework. She wouldn't let him copy in regular circumstances but she knew the situation. One more failing grade for Danny and his parents would ground him for at least six months. His grades were slipping due to the fact that he was trying to balance ghost-busting and school at the same time.

Danny smiled gratefully and started to copy as fast as he could. The gods was smiling. He would probably pass algebra. All thanks to Sam.

As soon as he finished he handed it back to her with a big smile. "Thanks Sam! I am so happy I can hug you!" he said cheerfully.

"Please don't." she said flatly.

"I was just kidding!" he replied as he tucked his homework into his bag. "Where's Tucker by the way?"

"At home and sick with the flu. He says sorry he can't come to school." Sam said as she turned a page.

"Oh. Hey Sam, did you notice the weird stares the world is giving us?" Danny asked in an undertone as a couple of students passed, staring and giggling. His brows knitted together as he tried to figure it out.

"I did." The black-haired girl said quietly. Boys were not as dense as pocketbooks say but here was an exception to that fact. Danny was DENSE.

"Do you know why?" he asked again. It was strange… and frightening to suddenly be the object of stares.

"No." she replied in a flat tone. That was a white lie. She knew but she wouldn't tell him… not just yet anyway. Now was so not the right time to discuss it.

"Really, I thought girls were more sensitive to picking up gossip…" his voice trailed off as she glared at him. Oh, he forgot. Sam wasn't like other girls. "What I really meant was…"

The bell rang loudly and pierced the cool morning air. Danny got up and brushed dirt off his jeans. He smiled at her nervously as he held out a hand to help her get up. She took it and picked up her books once on her feet.

They walked on the hallway together as they did everyday. Danny and Sam had been doing that for years because they were best friends. Their friendship stretched all the way to when they were kids until now. Their relationship was so close they had some kind of a psychic connection with each other and could complete each other's sentences.

As Danny expected, people stared at them as if they were some kind of a circus show. It was freaky and strange and Sam had to poke him at the sides to keep walking with him. He shrugged and they arrived at their lockers.

"Just ignore it." Sam said softly. Danny looked at her closely, as if trying to decide whether that was Sam or an alien talking.

"Wait, do you know why they are gawking at us?" he asked under his breath as Paulina passed, smirking. Besides the stares, he was getting annoyed with the I-know-something-you-don't look they were all sporting.

She sighed as if he was a naughty five-year-old. "Danny, if I knew, I would've told you. Right now, we're going to be late for class."

He knew that tone… That dangerous shut-up-and-listen-to-me tone…

Meekly, he followed her into Homeroom. It was going to be a long morning.

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"So, tell me." Danny said at lunchtime. She ignored his statement and continued eating her sandwich. "Sam…" he wheedled.

Out of the two, Danny was the talkative one. He filled the air with quirky anecdotes, corny jokes, and unusually wise aphorisms. Sam was the listener and she was Danny's psychotherapist who would usually pound some sense into his head.

They were complete polar opposites but they managed to stay friends all the same.

"Gah, algebra is killing me." Danny whined as he stared at the notes he copied. There was going to be a huge test tomorrow and he hadn't learned a thing. His mind had shut down in the middle of class, out of tiredness than boredom.

"Love is killing me," Sam muttered to herself.

"What?" asked Danny who was sure he heard the words 'love' and 'me' in one sentence.

"I didn't say anything." she said irritably.

"Oh." He nodded and took a bite out of his sandwich as he stared at his notebook. Sure he can fight ghosts and has defeated a number of them many times but algebra was one enemy he cannot take down.

Danny's mind was drifting somewhere but was returned quickly when he overheard a group of girls.

"Sam and Danny look cute, don't you think?"

"Yeah, they do. I mean, it pains me to know they're friends and so sweet to each other and not be…"

Cerulean blue eyes turned to the black-haired lass sitting beside him, still reading her book. She returned his gaze squarely, one eyebrow rose as if asking.

"Did you hear that?" Danny whispered urgently. She nodded absently and flipped a page. Now that was weird. Sam was paying too much attention on that book. "I think they're talking about us."

"Why should they?" Sam said absently. She cupped her face and tried not to stare at him by focusing instead on the not-so-appetizing musty green ceiling.

"I heard the words cute couple." he said matter-of-factly. A weird feeling has settled on his chest, like he wanted to laugh but cannot. In fact he seemed kind of curious and glad…

"So? They must be referring to someone else." she countered logically.

"But I heard our names…" Danny trailed off as she held up her hand to cut him off.

"I'd rather not talk about it now." she said and got up to carry her lunch tray back to the counter. Danny got up too and in the nick of time as Sam slipped on a forgotten piece of jelly on the floor. "Wait, Sam-"

He swiftly caught her in his arms just as her lunch tray clattered to the floor. This was the first time he ever got a good look at her face. Long tendrils of silky black hair fell to frame her face although she kept it back in a ponytail. Her eyes were really a clear deep violet color and had naturally long and thick lashes (he'd always thought it was a trick of mascara).

Their eyes met and Danny felt like he was drowning. Longing, curiosity, and a hint of fear… he didn't know that she could talk with her eyes. Come to think of it, he didn't know she had those lovely eyes…

Someone cleared his throat. The short eternity was broken and Danny helped Sam back to her feet as naturally as he could. He was shaken by the emotions Sam had expressed silently to him. Then he realized that the whole cafeteria was silent.

Sam bent down and started to pick up the leftovers. Danny knelt and started to help her, praying that she wouldn't notice his shaking hands. He sneaked glances at his best friend as inconspicuously as he could. Her cheeks were pink…

He decided he was finished eating too and walked with her to deliver their lunch trays. They ignored the silent giggles and amused stares; they exited the cafeteria as quickly as possible.

Once they were out in the hall, Danny leaned back on a locker and let out a long breath. Sam was standing still and looking anywhere but him.

"What was that all about?" he asked quietly. He needn't have lowered his voice as the wall was empty.

She shook her head and gave an elaborate shrug. The feeling that Sam knew something he didn't settle on his chest. Honestly, he was quite hurt but he didn't show it.

"I'll see you later, Danny." Sam nodded and walked away, leaving him confused and hurt.

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Danny doodled on his notebook to pass the time. It was Literature class and they were discussing a long and boring novel. Besides that his mind was elsewhere.

Why is Sam so evasive? No, correction, more evasive than usual… he thought as he sighed softly. Sam was usually easy to read as he had known her for a long time but her behavior today was nothing short of strange.

He checked his watch. There were ten more minutes before the bell rings. Literature was his last class and Sam's was Home Economics. He'll pick her up and squeeze out everything about this situation.

The stares hadn't toned down and in fact he was getting quite annoyed. Being a loser was better than to be melted by those smirks and stares. Danny didn't know and nobody was going to tell him except Sam.

Sam was really pretty come to think of it. Her beauty was something not everyone appreciated but it was there, radiant as ever. If she took off her Goth makeup and wore normal clothes for a change, she'll look better. But Danny knew she wouldn't do that. Sam was too much her own person to look conventional.

Besides, beneath her Goth look that screamed 'Back off!' was a sweet and caring girl who listened, laughed quietly, and stayed by his side. She'd never showed anyone the true Sam except to him.

They were very close to each other, closer than most. Friendship was built on honesty and trust. They had both.

Call it kindred spirit or soul mates but the first time Danny set eyes on Sam, he felt comfortable. That was the best feeling in the world.

And they became best friends.

"Danny and Sam… Friends forever…" he wrote before smiling. His feeling were slowly changing albeit unknowingly.

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Sam glanced at Danny as they walked slowly on the sidewalk. He was quiet as if still deep in thought. She let out a soft sigh. If only she could tell Danny…

But that would be stupid. People might hear and everything would be ruined.

She couldn't risk that.

The afternoon sun warmed them as they walked under the falling orange and red leaves. The sunshine made the leaves and trees look like they were painted in gold. It was very beautiful.

"Hey, want to grab some really good ice cream?" Danny said out-of-the-blue. He turned to her, eyes dancing. She can't help but grin to herself and shrugged. There was still homework to do but perhaps she can spare some time…

"Let's go!" And Danny took her hand to take her away. She was taken by surprise but she hid it behind a small smile she thought no one saw.

Danny glanced at her before smiling too.

The black-haired lad brought her in front of very familiar gates. Violet eyes looked at him questioningly. He only smiled sheepishly at her before pulling her in. His hand never let go of hers.

"Why did you bring me here?" Sam asked as he led her to the ice cream stand. She looked around the semi-deserted playground with curiosity. This was the same place where they had met so many years ago.

She felt strange. To think that she thought the playground was a big place before only to realize it wasn't. It didn't change much. The slides, swings, and monkey bars were painted with the same bright colors as they were before.

Memories flooded her. There, on that swing, Danny had let her fall after pushing her and she'd cried. On that small sandbox where they'd spent days making sand castles and sharing dreams. Also on that slide where he used to encourage her as she was afraid of heights and he'd even held her hand as they slid down together.

"Here." She turned to see Danny holding out a vanilla cone for her. He was smiling as she accepted it. Vanilla was the only flavor she'd consent to when eating ice cream.

They walked towards the swings and left their bags at the base as they sat down. It said four thirty on the huge playground clock and the sun was setting slowly on the west, bringing out the reds and gold of the autumnal foliage.

It had been a while since they'd sat together in deep silence. Sam and Danny swung slowly, almost in synch with each other.

"Danny…" Sam broke the silence and his calm blue eyes settled on her. It was now or never. She fidgeted before continuing, "Sorry about… what happened earlier. I didn't want anyone to hear."

"What was that all about?" he asked quietly; his curiosity was aroused.

"I heard some things… about us. It's quite strange, I know, but everyone's pushing us closer to each other. I mean, everyone comments on how close we are and how cute we look together… It's strange isn't it? I nearly wanted to strangle someone when I heard about it." Sam stopped talking and stared at the ground.

"I've heard them too but I didn't pay attention to it. I thought it's something else. I laughed, seriously. They want it but we don't." he said as he stared at her.

Her grip on the swing tightened. "We are close and it could happen. It's very possible you know Danny. And it can happen anytime."

"But do you want it to happen?" he asked softly.

"I don't know. Honestly, I'm in quandary. A small part of me wants to but the rest is protesting." Sam said quietly.

"It will never happen." Danny said, trying to regain some conviction.

"'Never say never,'" Sam quipped.

"But it will not happen, not yet anyway." he said as he shifted his stare away from her. He wasn't sorry they started this conversation but it was quite strange discussing it with Sam. They were honest to each other and never hid anything. Friendship granted them the liberty to be frank and open to each other.

"I don't want it to happen… I want us to stay friends." Sam whispered as she stared at the ground. They'd stopped swinging and dusk was settling. The streetlight came on and lent some light on them. She wished she could see his reaction clearly.

"Same here, Sam… I don't want to lose you. What if it did happen? Will it still be the same?" Danny let out a small sigh and glanced at her. Sam had let her guard down and he could see all her emotions. He knew she was afraid to lose him or else she wouldn't look so hurt and frightened.

"If we did try to be… what will happen to our friendship?" she asked after a pause. She shivered at the thought of not seeing Danny everyday, not hanging out with him and Tucker, and losing everything that she'd cherished for so many years.

"We'll still be friends. That's all." he replied as he fixed his stare on her.

"Yes, but is it possible?" she met his gaze squarely.

"Why are you asking me? You're the one who pointed that out." Danny said with a chuckle. Sometimes he could be such a smartass.

"But it's strange because I've never entertained these thoughts. I wasn't even aware of it until someone commented." Sam retorted as she pushed back to propel herself forward. "Are we as close as they say?"

"Don't ask me. We've known each other forever." he replied without thinking. After a minute he slapped his forehead. "Why are we even talking about this?"

"You've been pestering me all day." Sam said with a grin.

"Oh yeah… Well, what do you think?" he asked as he followed suit, trying to catch her rhythm.

"It wont happen and I hope it doesn't." she replied as she swung faster.

"Why not?" he asked as confusion knotted his brows.

"I'm an open-minded person Danny but I'm being pragmatic. No, don't get me wrong. You're a good guy and I know you, like you even. I just happen to value our friendship a lot." Sam said with characteristic seriousness. Her violet eyes glanced at him and noted that he looked rather thoughtful.

"Me too… but this is life. We have to take risks." he retorted.

"I know." she said softly.

They swung for a while until it slowed down and stopped. Sam stared up at the stars and wondered if they were watching. Danny was still looking far away as if seeing something she wasn't.

His mind was running in all directions and he wasn't sure of which path to take anymore. Come to think of it, he couldn't look at Sam without thinking about what they'd just talked about. He never saw her as girlfriend material but something like a sister. Right now he was seeing her in a whole new light.

Danny's mind replayed the memory of Valerie near discovery of his Ghost identity. Sam had saved him by kissing him to instill shock to bring him back to human form. Val had gloated on it and they'd denied having feelings for each other in front of Tucker.

That kiss… he smiled a little as he remembered that although he was shocked, he was still conscious of the softness of Sam's lips and the taste of her raspberry lip gloss. It lasted no more than a minute and he quickly got over his shock to enjoy that feeling. That was their first kiss and it was wonderful. If he had known what it was like to kiss Sam before then he wouldn't have hesitated so much.

"I've got an idea." Danny said cheerfully. "Please listen to me first, Sam."

The dark-haired lass sighed. "I'm listening."

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he said seriously.

Sam thought she was going to have a heart attack. She gripped the swing's chains tightly and breathed slowly, in and out. "Are you serious Danny? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

He held up a hand to halt her tirade. He was so seriously serious he can only be bonkers. "I am, Sam. I mean, let's try it for say, three days, and if it doesn't work out, let's break off. No harm done. We'll remain friends as if nothing happened. But if our feelings change… it's up to you."

She became silent for a minute before looking at him again. There were light pink patches on her cheeks that she was thankful that the darkness hid it. "Nothing changes, right?"

"Nothing," he confirmed. Danny reached over to squeeze her hand. "I'm not forcing you. We could forget we even had this conversation."

"But I can't imagine us… together." Sam whispered.

"We're together now." Danny said softly. "So, will you be with me, Sam?"

"Yes, Danny." she said, smiling a little.

They swung slowly in silence. But it was a silence filled with joy and understanding and love.

Maybe this was what was meant to happen all along.

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"Did anything happen while I was gone?" Tucker asked as Danny sat down on their hangout the next day. Sam looked up and smiled at the black-haired boy before returning to her book. He looked at Danny then Sam and back again.

"Oh, nothing much," the blue-eyed boy said cheerfully.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary." Tucker said in a faintly accusatory tone. "And what's with them? They look like they're having a kick out of watching us. I feel like a circus seal."

"Calm down Tucker." Sam said without even looking up. She bowed her head to hide a blush as she realized that Danny was sitting a wee bit closer than normal. He'd admitted that he loved her already without even knowing it last night.

Before the other boy could say anything the bell rang and the other students started to pick up their things. The nosy ones took as long as they could to watch them.

Danny grinned and placed an arm around Sam's shoulders. Tucker's jaw dropped open as he noticed that they were blushing pink. Realization dawned on him and he smiled in a teasing way. In his own way, Danny was declaring to the world that Sam was his.

To some people, Danny and Sam acted like normal friends. But it only takes a closer look to know that the two were in love…

… and happy about it.

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Two in Love

Dedicated to Lazyninja86

To my Kuya, spam buddy, best friend, and kareshi

042805; 12.47pm


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